Method and apparatus for removing excess coating material from elongated members



July 6, 1965 Y B. JANKOWSK-l 3,193,405 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCESS COATING MATERIAL FROM ELONGATED MEMBERS Filed May 11, 1962 la'a l8 /9 m: I

I30 /40 2 1-. L- Z7Ni I I50 QM He II h /4 a I 20 l5 IN VENTOR. BLAIR JANKOWSK/ Attorney United States Patent 3,193,405 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EX- CESS COATING MATERIAL FROM ELONGATED MENIBERS Blair Janirowski, 3618 Whitney St., Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed May 11, 1962, Ser. No. 194,001 3 Claims. (Cl. 117-102) This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for handling elongated galvanized articles as they are removed from a galvanizing bath.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved handling method and apparatus which eflfectively remove excess coating metal from a galvanized article, thus preventing such metal from solidifying on the article and leaving beads or barbs on the surface.

A further object is to provide an improved handling method and apparatus which remove excess coating metal without necessitating an extra operation.

A more specific object is to provide an improved handling method and apparatus which utilize a magnetic carriage to engage one end of an article and withdraw it from a galvanizing bath while bumping the other end along a series of rollers, thus shaking excess coating metal from the article.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of my apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a partly diagrammatic side elevational view; and

FIGURE 3 is a partly diagrammatic end elevational view.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show a portion of a conventional galvanizing tank 119 of a type used for galvanizing elongated articles A, for example angle irons. My handling apparatus includes a first pair of opposed uprights 12 and 12a adjacent one end of tank 10, a second pair of op posed uprights 13 and 13a spaced from the first pair, a third pair of uprights 14 and 14a ofiset from each other as shown in FIGURE 1 and spaced from the second pair, and a fourth pair of opposed uprights 15 and 15a spaced from the third pair. A rail 16 extends between uprights 12 and 13 and slopes upwardly from the upper edge of tank 10. Another rail 17 extends horizontally between uprights 13 and 15, forming a continuation of rail 16. Rails 16a and 17a are similarly arranged with respect to the uprights on the other side. A first roller table 18 is fixed to uprights 12, 12a, 13 and 13a immediately beneath rails 16 and 16a and slopes upwardly at approximately the same angle as these rails. A second roller table 19 is fixed to uprights 13, 13a, 14 and 14a beneath the horizontal rails 17 and 17a and slopes downwardly from the upper end of the first roller table. A horizontal platform 26 is fixed to uprights 14, 14a, 15 and 15a spaced beneath the horizontal rails 17 and 17a and extends from the lower edge of the second roller table 19. A carriage 21, shown only diagrammatically, rides on rails 17, 17a, 18 and 18a, and can be propelled by any suitable means, such as a cable 22. A magnet 23 is fixed to the rear of carriage 21. A second and stronger magnet 24- is fixed to the lower end of the second roller table 19.

In operation, I move carriage 21 along the rails to a position in which magnet 23 engages the leading end of an article A in the galvanizing bath. Next I pull the carriage up the sloping rails 16 and 16a and thus withdraw the article lengthwise from the bath. As the carriage continues along the horizontal rails 17 and 17a, the article at first rides along the upwardly sloping roller table 18, but after the trailing end clears this roller table, it bumps in a series of steps on each roller of the downwardly sloping table 19. This bumping action shakes loose excess coating metal from the article. When the trailing end of the article reaches the lower end of roller table 19, the stronger magnet 24 suddenly pulls the article free of the carriage. The weight of the article, now unsupported by the carriage, causes the article to become disengaged from the magnet 24. The article then drops with a final bump to platform 20 to shake loose more excess coating metal. I provide a basin 25 in the floor beneath the horizontal rails 17 and 17a to receive coating metal shaken loose from the article. Preferably the basin is water-filled and it contains a screen 26 to catch the coating metal and solidify it for easy removal.

I can employ any convenient mechanism for removing articles from platform 20. For this purpose I show a series of transverse horizontal endless conveyor strands 27 mounted within the platform and power driven by any suitable means (not shown). A trip plate 28 is fixed adjacent the discharge point of these strands. The article turns on its longitudinal axis as it strikes this plate. Another series of endless strands 29 then carry the article from the trip plate into a water tank 30, where the coating metal solidifies.

From the foregoing description it is seen that my invention affords a simple method and apparatus for removing excess coating metal from elongated articles. The invention effectively removes such metal without the need for any additional operations beyond the usual step of removing the article from the coating bath.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of handling an elongated article as it is removed from a metal coating bath comprising applying a magnetic pulling force to one end of the article to move the article lengthwise with the end to which the force is applied moving first in an upwardly sloping direction and then in a horizontal direction, bumping the other end of the article down a series of steps while the end to which the force is applied moves horizontally to place the other end at a lower height and shake loose excess coating metal, and applying a stronger magnetic force to the other end of the article to free the first-named end and thus drop the article suddenly to knock loose more excess coating metal.

2. An apparatus for handling an elongated article as it is removed from a metal coating bath comprising support means, a pair of upwardly sloping rails and a pair of horizontal rails in operative continuity carried by said support means, a first roller table carried by said support means beneath said sloping rails and sloping upwardly at a similar angle, a second roller table carried by said support means beneath a portion of said horizontal rails and sloping downwardly from the upper end of said first roller table, a carriage riding on said pairs of rails, a magnet on the end of said carriage for engaging one end of an article and pulling the article lengthwise along said roller tables with the other end of the article bumping down the rollers of said second table to shake loose excess coating metal, a stronger magnet at the lower end of said second roller table for engaging the end of the article and suddenly freeing the first-named end from the magnet on said carriage to allow the article to drop and knock loose more excess coating metal, and means carried by said support means beneath another portion of said horizontal rails for receiving the article as it drops from said carriage.

3. In an apparatus for handling an elongated magnetic article as it is removed from a metal coating bath, which apparatus includes a plurality of upright supports, rails carried by said supports, a carriage" movably mounted on 'said rails, means connected with said carriage for propelling it along said rails, a plurality of members carried by saids'upports beneath a portion of said rails adapted to be bumped successively by the article to shake-loose excess coating metal from the article, and article-receiving means carried by said supports beneath another portion of said rails, the combination therewith of a first magnet carried by said carriage for engaging:

one end of the article to propel the article lengthwise as the carriage moves along the-rails and thus cause the article to bump against said members, and a stronger References Cited by the Examiner, UNITED STATES PATENTS 857,856 6/07 Baehr et a1. 294-655 1,034,687 8/12 Buchert 118-57 1,415,166 15/22 Free 118-425 1,706,348 3/29 Buchert 118-423 2,695,594 11/54 Fairburn L 214-1 3,023,879 3/62" Cafferty et al. 198-41 RICHARD D. NEVIUS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF HANDLING AN ELONGATED ARTICLE AS IT IS REMOVED FROM A METAL COATING BATH COMPRISING APPLYING A MAGNETIC PULLING FORCE TO ONE END OF THE ARTICLE TO MOVE THE ARTICLE LENGTHWISE WITH THE END TO WHICH THE FORCE IS APPLIED MOVING FIRST IN AN UPWARDLY SLOPING DIRECTION AND THEN IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION, BUMPING THE OTHER END OF THE ARTICLE DOWN A SERIES OF STEPS WHILE THE END TO WHICH THE FORCE IS APPLIED MOVES HORIZONTALLY TO PLACE THE OTHER END AT A LOWER HEIGHT AND SHAKE LOOSE EXCESS COATING METAL, AND APPLYING A STRONGER MAGNETIC FORCE TO THE OTHER END OF THE ARTICLE TO FREE THE FIRST-NAMED END AND THUS DROP THE ARTICLE SUDDENLY TO KNOCK LOOSE MORE EXCESS COATING METAL. 